PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins are holding on to defenseman Chad Ruhwedel.

The Penguins re-signed Ruhwedel to a two-year deal on Thursday that carries an average value of $700,000 a season.

The 29-year-old Ruhwedel played in 18 games for the Penguins in 2018-19, scoring one goal and one assist while averaging 16:17 of ice time. He struggled to find a niche with the Penguins last season. At one point he went more than two months without playing as a healthy scratch, but played well in February following injuries to teammate Kris Letang among others.

General manager Jim Rutherford praised Ruhwedel’s work ethic, saying Ruhwedel “exemplified what it means to be a team player.”